Car-brake



(No Model.)

v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. W; A. STOFER.

GAR BRAKE.

Patented Dec. 25, 1888.

IPA/ENTER:

1 5' ad. W,- 8 47- 5 8 2 sheets-sheen 2. W. A. STOFER.

(No Model.)

GAR BRAKE.

Patented Dec. 25, 1888..

XWM

llNrTEn STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

lVILLIAM A. STOFER, OF FOXBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,012, dated December 25, 1888.

Application filed September 24, 1888. Serial No. 288,165. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

, Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. STOFER, of Foxburg, in the county of Clarion, State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Car-Brakes, of which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specifiation, in which- Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a portion of a railway train provided with my improved brake; Fig. 2, a perspective View of one of the car-trucks detached and enlarged; Fig. 3, an elevation of one of the brake-shoes and rod detached; Fig. 4, an enlarged bottom plan view of a portion of a car provided with my improvement; Fig. 5, a side elevation of the same; Fig. 6, a vertical section of a portion of an engine-cab, showing the means for operating the brake; and Fig. 7, an enlarged elevation of the crank and gears detached from the cab.

Like letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings.

My invention relates to that class of brakes which are particularly adapted for use 011 freight-cars and are operated from the engine or any one of the cars; and it consists in certain novel features, as hereinafter fully set forth and claimed, the object being to produce a simpler, cheaper, and more effective device of this character than is now in ordinary use.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understood by all conversant withsuch matters from the following explanation.

In the drawings, A 1:1 represent the cars; C, the locomotive-cab; D E, the ear-wheels, and H H the brake-shoes, these parts being all of the ordinary form and construction, excepting as hereinafter specified.

A longitudinally-arranged rod, J, connects the brake-shoes H H on the same side of the car and keeps them in their proper positions, said rod being capable of adjustment by means of the shorter threaded portion, K, of

the same. An equalizing-bar, L, is pivoted centrally at a to the body of each car, and to the outer ends of said bar longitudinallyarrzanged connecting-rods M N are pivoted at A diagonally-arranged rod, P, provided with a stiff coiled spring, d, at one end, for the purpose of relieving any strain on the several parts, is pivoted at t to the bar L, the opposite end of said rod being secured centrally to a horizontally-arranged bar, g, secured by vertical arms f to a rock-bar, R, on each truck Q of the car.

The rock-bar R is pivoted 011 plates 0, secured to the frame-work S of the car-truck Q, and is provided with outWardly-proj ecting short lugs h, to which are attached at their upper ends lever-arms i, the lower ends of said lever-arms being pivoted to two of the brake-shoes H. The rear brake-shoes, H are supported by means of arms j, pivoted at their upper ends to the plates 0 on the rear side of the car-truck opposite to that on which hangs the rock-bar R. The horizontal bar 9 of the rock-bar R is provided with a coiled spring, 10, the purpose of which is to keep the parts in their normal position when not in use or when the shoes H H are released from pressure against the wheels E D.

The longitudinallyarranged connectingrods M N are pivoted to the ends of the equalizing-bar L and provided with hooks n and chains p at their ends, by which the bars on adjacent cars of the train are connected. Each car is provided with the usual hand wheels, q, (see Fig. 1,) which are attached to the rods M N by means of short links 0".

It will be readily seen'that by turning the hand-wheels q in the usual manner the rods N will be moved in the direction of arrows 2 and the rods M in the direction of arrows 3 in Fig. 1, thereby causing the equalizing-bar L to turn on its pivot to and draw forward the rod P, thereby drawing outward the bar g of the rock-bar B. This movement of the rockbar draws the lever-arms i upward and forces the brake-shoesH against the wheels D. At the same time the shoes H being connected with the shoes H by the rod J are forced into engagement with their wheels E as said shoes are drawn upward.

The operation of the brake upon only one, or the rear, set of wheels is illustrated; but it will be understood that the opposite rod, P, an adjustable rod connectingthe shoes of oppivoted to the opposite end of the bar Ii, acts at the same time and in the same manner upon the wheels of the forward truck. 5 It will be clearly seen that when the handwhcels q are actuated great power is obtained over the brakes ll, because of the long leverage of the arms f and the short leverage of the lugs h on the rock-bar.

Occasion often arises for the application of the brakes throughout the train from the engine. For this purpose I have provided a system of mechanism (shown in Figs. (3 and T) by means of which the engineer or fireman can bring the train to a full stop at once. A

frame, '1, is firmly bolted to the cab (.1 of the locomotive, and upon this are journaled in suitable bearings shafts s in. A chain, r, is secured at one end to the end of a bar, M, and passes over a fricticm-pulley, (30, secured to the cab, and upward through the floor thereof and around the shaft on. One end of said shaft on is journaled in a block, 20, and mounted thereon is a pinion, 10, which 2 5 meshes with the gear-wheel \V on the shafts. The block 20 is movable laterally by means of the releasing-lever 25. A pawl, 12, is pivoted on the gear-wheel \V and engages a ratchet -wheel, 10, which actuated by a 0 lever-arm, ll, pivoted to the frame. Every movement of the lever-arm 14 in the direction of arrow I causes the gear-whee1 W to move in the same direction and the pinion w to travel in the opposite direction, thus wind- 5 ing up the chain V on the shaft n1, drawing forward the rod M, and operating the brakes, as described.

The frame '1 is provided at its upper end with a retaining-pawl, 15, (see Fig. 7,) which engages the gear \V, the purpose of said pawl being to hold said gear during the forward stroke of the lever i1 4:. To release the brakes from the engine, the lever 25 is drawn forward into the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 7, thus disengaging the pinion w from the gear \V, when the tension on the chain 1: will cause it to unwind from the shaft in and release the brakes.

IIaving thus explained my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a car, an equalizing-bar centrally pivoted to said car, longitudinallyarianged connecting-rods pivoted to said bar, rock-bars secured to the car-trucks, actuati n grods connecting said equalizing-bar and rockbar, and levers pivoted to said rock-bars and the brake-shoes of the car, whereby said shoes may be forced into engagement with the carwhecls as said equalizing-bar is actuated by the connectingrods, substantially as set forth.

In a device of the character described, the combimi-tion of a car, rock-bars pivoted to the truck of said car, levers piy'oted to said rock-bars and the brake'shoes of said truck,

posit-e wheels, an mplalizing-lmr pivoted to said car, and an actuatingrod provided with a spring andv connecting said rock-bar with said equalizing-bar, whereby the brake-shoes .may be lifted into engagement with the wheels as said equalizing-lmr is moved, substantiz'tlly as specified.

23. In a device of the character dcsmribed, the comliiination of a car provided with trucks and a brake-whee], rock-bars hinged to said trucks, brake-shoes connected by pivoted 1ever-arms with said rock-bars, adjustable rods connecting opposite brake-shoes, an equalizing-bar pivoted centrally to said car, actuating-rods pivoted to said bar and rock-bars, and connecting-rods pi voted to said equalizingbar and connected with said brake-wheel, whereby said shoes are lifted into engagement with the car-wheels as said l'u-ake-wheels are operated, substantially as set forth.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a car provided. with trucks, rock-bars hinged to said trucks, brake-shoes connected by pivoted lever-arms with said rock-bars, adjustable rods connecting opposite brake-shoes, an equalizing-bar pivoted centrally to said car, actuating-rods pivoted to said bar and roclebars, longitudinally arranged connecti11g-rods pivoted to said equalizing-bar, an engine, and a chain connecting said connecting-rods with a ratchet mechanism in said engine, whereby said chain may be wound and the lJi'fLkG-SllOGS lifted into engageinent with the wheels, substantially as specified.

5. In a device of the character described, the car A, provided with the trucks Q and wheels E I), in con'ibina-tion with the rock-bars R on said trucks, the brake-shoes 1-[ H", the pivoted levers ij, connectin said shoes and truck, the adjustable rod J, connecting said shoes, the bar L, pivoted to said car, the rod P, provided with the spring (I and connecting the bar L and roclcbar R, and adjunctive mechanism for actuz'tting said bar Ii, substantially as set forth.

6. The car A, provided with trucks Q, wheels E, and brake-wheels q, the equalizing-bar L, pivoted to said car, the rods M N, pivoted to said bar and connected by chains 1) with said. brake-wheels, the rock-bars R on said trucks, the rod I, connecting the bar I, with said rock-bars, the brake-shoes II .I I, connected by the rod .1, the pivoted levers '6, connecting the shoes II with said rock-bar, and the leversj, connecting the shoes II? with said truck, all being constructed, combined, and arranged to operate substantially as specified.

7. The cab 0, provided with the frame '1, the shafts m s, journalcd in said frame, the movable block 20, and lever 25, for actuating the same, the gear IV on the shaft .9, the pinion 10 on the shaft 072, the ratchet 10, the pawl 12 on. the gear IV, engaging said ratchet, the lever 14 on the shaft S, and the chain "r, con

necting the shaftm with the brakes of the cars, all being constructed, combined, and arranged to operate substantially as set forth.

8. In a device of the character described the equalizing-bar L, pivoted to the car, connecting-rods M N, pivoted to said bar, the rock-bars R, pivoted to the car-truck and provided with the arms f and bar g, levers connecting said rock-bars with the brake-shoes,

and the actuating-rod P, connecting the equal- 10 izing-bar with the bar g, whereby said brakeshoes may be lifted into engagement with the wheels when said connecting-bars are moved, substantially as specified.

\VILLIAM A. STOFER. \Vitnesses:

EDWARD REEFER, CHAS. H. MARTIN. 

